Ireland’s defence minister has insisted that Ireland does not want to supply or support Russia as questions about the Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick continue.
According to investigation led by the Irish Times and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, the refinery is exporting a significant amount to Russia.
That’s led to concerns that Ireland is inadvertently helping Russia produce weapons for its war in Ukraine.
Last week, the Ukrainian embassy in Dublin issued a stinging rebuke of Ireland’s relucance to sanction the plant.
“This troubling trade flow has increased significantly, with exports rising from €196 million in 2021 to €318 million in 2025, positioning the Russian Federation as the largest destination for Irish alumina exports and surpassing traditional European partners,” the Ukrainian embassy said.
“These figures raise serious concerns, as alumina remains a critical raw material for the production of aluminium, which is extensively used by Russia’s military-industrial complex. Aluminium is used in the manufacture of a wide range of Russian military systems, including Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, Kh-101 and Kalibr cruise missiles, as well as Shahed-136/Geran-2 attacks unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).”
Speaking in Cyprus this morning at a meeting of European defence ministers, Thomas Byne TD insisted that the government was taking the matter seriously.
“There’s an investigation going on at the moment in relation to that particular facility which does supply other places other than Russia and when the results of that investigation are known, I have no doubt that the government will discuss that with the European Commission,” he said.
But asked why the Irish Times investigation was not enough for the government to already halt the refinery’s exports to Russia, Byrne doubled down:
“We’ve learned that there is product going to other European Union countries, so I think there has been some further information about that….”
“We don’t want to be involved in supplying Russia, we don’t want to be in that place.
So that’s why the government launched an investigation some weeks ago in relation to that, and we supported sanctions and we continue to support sanctions.”
The refinery produces a vital raw material for aluminum metal smelting. The facility in the west of Ireland is thought to be one of the biggest in Europe.
According to reports, the government is worried that sanctioning Aughinish Alumina could jeopardise the plant which is seen as vital to the European aluminum production.
Ukraine’s embassy in Ireland said it “welcomes the Irish Government’s commitment to establishing all relevant facts. We look forward to the timely conclusion of this process and to any measures deemed necessary on the basis of its findings. Ukraine fully recognises the importance of protecting jobs, communities, and industrial competitiveness in Ireland and across the European Union.
At the same time, Russia’s continued war of aggression requires constant vigilance to ensure that commercial activities do not directly or indirectly contribute to sustaining the military capabilities of a state engaged in a brutal and unprovoked war against a sovereign European nation.”